Skip to main content

Playback every public session from the inaugural 2024 Global Investors' Symposium right here on our website.

Maria Contreras-Sweet

< Back to previous page

Maria Contreras-Sweet

24th Administrator, US Small Business Administration; Managing Partner, Rockway Equity Partners; Director, Sempra Energy
Maria Contreras-Sweet

Honorable Maria Contreras-Sweet is an American business leader, government official, civic leader, and community organizer. She served as a US cabinet member, California state cabinet secretary, and investor/entrepreneur. Her achievements in bringing efficiencies and modernization to large-scale organizations have earned her international acclaim. She was sworn in as a member of President Obama’s cabinet as the 24th Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). She has been bestowed with five honorary doctorates. The SBA was charged with supporting America’s 28 million small businesses, which create a majority of US jobs and employ half of our nation’s private-sector workforce. She oversaw the world’s largest seed fund and the world’s largest middle-market fund of funds, as well as a $120 billion loan portfolio. She directed the world’s largest business counseling network and directed one-quarter of the federal procurement activity to small enterprise. Her drive to bring the SBA into the digital age, and expand into broader domestic and global markets yielded record-breaking results in lending, investments, and contracting for America’s small businesses. Prior, she started three businesses, including ProAmerica Bank where she served as its founding executive chairwoman. Earlier she served as the California cabinet Secretary of the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency, where she oversaw 44,000 employees, a $14 billion budget.